Comparative Analysis of Grid-Following (GFL) and Grid-Forming (GFM) Inverters: Control and Transition Capabilities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64470/elene.2025.1004Keywords:
Grid-Following Inverter, Grid-Forming InverterAbstract
In recent years, interest in integration of renewable energy (RE) sources (particularly Wind Energy Systems - WES) into the electrical grid for sustainable, innovative solutions and a greener future continues to grow exponentially. To date, most RE sources have been connected to the grid through traditional grid-following inverters (GFL). Although this control method promises grid compatibility and lower complexity, the unpredictable variability of these eco-friendly RE sources leads to undesirable effects when taken into account. With the increasing interaction of renewable energy sources in today's grid, new challenges arise—such as voltage/frequency regulation and the reduction of overall system inertia—that cannot be resolved with conventional grid-following inverters (GFL). Therefore, the concept of grid-forming inverters (GFM) has been adopted.
The aim of this study is to examine the comparison between grid-forming inverters and traditional grid-following inverters, particularly focusing on droop control, and to regulate the simulated test results with appropriate control systems. For this purpose, the study first compares GFM—based on different control techniques (droop, virtual synchronous generator, and synchronverter control) in the literature—with the conventional GFL technique. The circuit tested in this study involves a 40 kVA-rated inverter supplying relevant loads and the grid, with GFL and GFM control modes analyzed separately. Finally, the potential effects of inverters on load variation and grid outages will be considered.
Downloads
References
Ali, M. A., & Arkadan, A. A. (2024, 3-5 April 2024). Dynamic Performance of Grid-forming Inverter Control Techniques - A Comparative Case Study. Paper presented at the 2024 IEEE Green Technologies Conference (GreenTech).
Blaabjerg, F., Teodorescu, R., Liserre, M., & Timbus, A. V. (2006). Overview of Control and Grid Synchronization for Distributed Power Generation Systems. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, 53(5), 1398-1409.
Gullu, S., Nilian, M., & Batarseh, I. (2024). Enhanced droop control for off-grid and grid-tied scenarios in renewable energy systems. International Journal of Energy Studies, 9(4), 745-773.
Mandrile, F. (2021). Next Generation Inverters Equipped with Virtual Synchronous Compensators for Grid Services and Grid Support. (Ph.D. dissertation). Univ. Politecnico di Torino, Torino.
Mohammed, N., Udawatte, H., Zhou, W., Hill, D., & Bahrani, B. (2024). Grid-Forming Inverters: A Comparative Study of Different Control Strategies in Frequency and Time Domains. IEEE Open Journal of the Industrial Electronics Society, PP, 1-32.
Rathnayake, D., Akrami, M., Phurailatpam, C., Me, S. P., Hadavi, S., Jayasinghe, G., . . . Bahrani, B. (2021). Grid Forming Inverter Modeling, Control, and Applications. IEEE Access, PP, 1-1.
Rathnayake, D. B., Razzaghi, R., & Bahrani, B. (2022). Generalized Virtual Synchronous Generator Control Design for Renewable Power Systems. IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy, 13(2), 1021-1036.
Rosso, R., Wang, X., Liserre, M., Lu, X., & Engelken, S. (2021). Grid-Forming Converters: Control Approaches, Grid-Synchronization, and Future Trends—A Review. IEEE Open Journal of Industry Applications, 2, 93-109.
Salem, Q., Aljarrah, R., Karimi, M., & Al-Quraan, A. (2023). Grid-Forming Inverter Control for Power Sharing in Microgrids Based on P/f and Q/V Droop Characteristics. Sustainability, 15(15).
Serkan Aslan, E. I. (2023). Overview of turkish electricity market 2023. Retrieved from https://www.pwc.com.tr/tr/sektorler/enerji/overview-of-turkish-electricity-market-2023.pdf
Sevilmiş, F., & Karaca, H. (2019). Şebeke Etkileşimli Eviriciler Için Faz Kilitleme Döngüsü Yöntemlerinin Performanslarinin Karşilaştirilmasi. [Performance Comparison of Phase Locked Loop Methods for Grid Interactive Inverters]. Konya Journal of Engineering Sciences, 7(4), 713-728.
Tozak, M., Taskin, S., Sengor, I., & Hayes, B. P. (2024). Modeling and Control of Grid Forming Converters: A Systematic Review. IEEE Access, 12, 107818-107843.
Urtasun, I., Urtasun, A., Muguiro, M., & Marroyo, L. (2022, 20-23 June 2022). Dynamic Enhancement of the Droop Control for Grid-Forming Inverters. Paper presented at the 2022 IEEE 23rd Workshop on Control and Modeling for Power Electronics (COMPEL).
Wiatros-Motyka, M. (2023). Global Electricity Review 2023. Retrieved from https://ember-climate.org/insights/research/global-electricity-review-2023.
Downloads
Published
Data Availability Statement
No datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Fatih Burak, Hulusi Karaca (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright of their work and grant the journal the right to publish it under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This allows for maximum dissemination and reuse with appropriate citation.
ORCID 
